Memory card error

[stormer]

Just got home last night and now all of a sudden when I turn on my camera (Cannon PowerShot SX200) it says "memory card error" I can't take a picture or view my pictures that I took on the trip. Anyone know if I can do anything to fix this or are all my pictures lost?

[seashoreCM]

Things to try.

1. Is the camera's battery pack charged up?

2. Turn the camera off. Take the memory chip out and put it back in again. (This cleans the contacts).

3. Does your computer have a slot you can put the chip in and download it as an alternative to connecting the camera via a cable?

4. Some printers have such slots which are worth trying even if your computer has a slot and it did not work. Usually you can access the chip from your computer even if the chip is plugged into the printer.

Digital camera hints: http://www.cockam.com/digicam.htm

[stormer]

I tried putting the card into my printer and got the same error message. I'll take a look at my computer and see if it has a slot for it. I'll try anything! Thanks

[seashoreCM]

There are some professional computer folks who can extract pictures from a corrupted card. But it is usually not easy. If the card has been used a lot without periodically having everything uploaded and then being reformatted, some of the pictures may be in fragments that have to be reassembled. It is like going through the broken gate of a parking lot to find that your car has the body in one space, the wheels in another space, the seats in a third space, etc. and figuring out which space has whose car's wheels, etc.

[NateNLogansDad]

#1 DO NOT try to write to the card.
#2 DO NOT try to write to the card.
#3 Do NOT format it.

If you can't get the pictures back send me a private message. I'm at work now but I'll be home after midnight and may be able to point you in the right direction.

[MICKEY88]

try using a card reader... walmart has them for around 15 bucks or less

[NateNLogansDad]

Try this out and let me know if it helps.

[stormer]

#1 DO NOT try to write to the card.
#2 DO NOT try to write to the card.
#3 Do NOT format it.

If you can't get the pictures back send me a private message. I'm at work now but I'll be home after midnight and may be able to point you in the right direction.

My husbands friend works in a camera store. He took it to work with him today to see what he can do with it. If he doesn't have any luck I'll let you know. Thanks for your help. My fingers are crossed that my pictures can be saved!

[NateNLogansDad]

My husbands friend works in a camera store. He took it to work with him today to see what he can do with it. If he doesn't have any luck I'll let you know. Thanks for your help. My fingers are crossed that my pictures can be saved!

There's a pretty good chance they can be recovered. Don't worry too much just yet. If worse comes to worse I have some special software here if you want to mail it.
I have no problem helping out whenever I can and I'll mail it back as soon as I get your files off (and no, I don't charge.) It's just an idea to keep in the back of your mind. I'm just outside of Philly, let me know and I'll PM you my address. The link I sent you is one I recommended to several other members on here and has had a good track record so far.

[safetymom]

There are many good programs out there you can download to recover the images. Some of them are even free.

[MICKEY88]

ZAR is an awesome program for photo recovery, it's free

I recoveroed over 10,000 photos from a hard drive that had been reformatted..

[NateNLogansDad]

any luck?

[stormer]

any luck?

Thank you so much for your offer to help. That was so nice of you. My Dh's friend actually called last night that he was able to recover my pictures. I am so excited! I was so worried when I got the error message. I am a picture freak - I take tons on vacation - but don't know what to do when something goes wrong.

Thanks again!:)

[seobaina]

Excuse me hi-jacking this thread but I have a similar problem. We toured California in Sept. My friend, near the end of the holiday, ran out of space on her memory cards so she bought a new one out there. It seemed to work fine but when we got home we found a fault. If I connect her camera to my computer and open up file manager it shows the photo details (ie, date taken, file size, etc). BUT if I try to take them off there (copy and paste) OR try to view the files as thumbnails it says 'error'. I tried taking it to a local camera shop and they had it for 3 days then so 'no joy, you'll have to reformat it and start again'. I didn't want to do this cause I didn't want to give up home. besides, they are more of a traditional camera shop than a digital one. I was wondering if we should try a computer expert instead. Can anyone offer advice? :confused3 I really don't wanna give up on the photos unless I have too!

[NateNLogansDad]

seobaina-

Sent ya a PM. There was a link in one of my posts but it got deleted.

[disneymarie]

There's a pretty good chance they can be recovered. Don't worry too much just yet. If worse comes to worse I have some special software here if you want to mail it.
I have no problem helping out whenever I can and I'll mail it back as soon as I get your files off (and no, I don't charge.) It's just an idea to keep in the back of your mind. I'm just outside of Philly, let me know and I'll PM you my address. The link I sent you is one I recommended to several other members on here and has had a good track record so far.

If the card is broke is there any luck to recover. My son was carrying a computer with the card reader. The card reader did something to the SD card, he dropped the reader from the laptop, It is not a SDHD. I lost the Disny pics from this spring and some others,
di:surfweb:

[MICKEY88]

If the card is broke is there any luck to recover. My son was carrying a computer with the card reader. The card reader did something to the SD card, he dropped the reader from the laptop, It is not a SDHD. I lost the Disny pics from this spring and some others,
di:surfweb:

is the card physically broken/cracked..

[NateNLogansDad]

is the card physically broken/cracked..

That makes a big difference......

[disneymarie]

is the card physically broken/cracked..

Yes, when it was in the reader and hit the floor it cracked, we tried to read it in the computer slot and it did not recognize it. DS said he could have it read from the internal part.....

Nothing was ever done with it. I know he felt guilty about it and is under a lot of stress to bring it up to him.
I just wrote it off as a loss. After seeing this thread I wondered if he was right that it still could go to a device to recover the information.

[MICKEY88]

what type of card,, did it just crack, did it come apart... could you post a pic of it

[disneymarie]

what type of card,, did it just crack, did it come apart... could you post a pic of it

What I remember was the son taking something out of the card, it is a SD not an SDHD. I thought he was telling me that is the part the storage is in. That he would contact a place that could read from the storage part.

I will ask him to brin it up, I will take a picture of it.
di

[NateNLogansDad]

hopefully it's not too bad....

[disneymarie]

hopefully it's not too bad....

Thanks, I did not see the kids today, tomorrow is our Give a Day at an after school program. I will see them after that for dinner and have ds bring it with him.

OT: I had jumped a link to your trip report, I could not imagine someone taking nearly 10,000 pix at Disney. I have to tell you it was so relieving, better then Calgon. I am keeping my mind from overwhelming anxiety with trip reports, those that are planning trips, and my photography love.

I lost my oldest dd in 2007, just after her last family trip to Disney.

I am going through a difficult time with a legal suit and the ex....
I have a thread on the CB for support. It is what gets me through these days.

Your trip brought a feeling of happiness and good times, thank you for taking allllll that time to post it.:lovestruc

[NateNLogansDad]

You've got me tearing up over here. I'm glad I did something good for a change and I hope things start looking up soon. As for the card, I'd love to play with it for you to see if I can get anything off of it. Let me know if you want to send it and I'll give you my address.

[MICKEY88]

Hmm I just realized we have a PA mini meet here..

[NateNLogansDad]

Same state and we all probably have a different accent. :lmao:

[MICKEY88]

Same state and we all probably have a different accent. :lmao:

maybe the 2 of you have accents, but I sound normal...LOL :cool1:

[NateNLogansDad]

:rotfl2:

I sound like everybody else from South Philly

[MICKEY88]

:rotfl2:

I sound like everybody else from South Philly

that's not an accent, that's a whole other language..

[disneymarie]

Same state and we all probably have a different accent. :lmao:



Gosh we have to start a new PA DISers local photo ops thread.
Nate, I am sure you do a lot of good, you have a passionate heart. Your thread took days to do and created something forever to bring back memories to many,

my accent is mixed; I am sandwhiched between you two, at the I 80 & I 81 intersection, Wilkes Barre area, my parents were from here, but I was born in Chestnut Hill, then reared Warminster in Bucks County,
Moved "up home" when I was 14.

Thanks for the chat, and sharing pic's, sorry to hijack, I better create my own thread for TR links :thumbsup2
Di